Wildlife officer goes beyond call of duty, receives award

Monday

Dec 10, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Guidelines and rulebooks are easy to follow, but it's going the extra mile that can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

BY REBEKAH CANSLER MCGEEThe Dispatch

SOUTHMONT | Guidelines and rulebooks are easy to follow, but it's going the extra mile that can sometimes make all the difference in the world.Sgt. Anthony Sharum of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission received the 2012 Governor's Award for Excellence for Outstanding Service on Nov. 27 after he went beyond the call of duty to help a family in need.A year ago, Sharum received a call about illegal hunting activity. Sharum and another officer located a man living in an old, run-down mobile home in a trailer park. As he knocked on the door, Sharum said he noticed the mobile home's door was held together with duct tape. Before the conversation began, the man offered Sharum a drink. Sharum declined but when the man opened the refrigerator, Sharum couldn't help noticing the sparseness of the shelves. "There was a small table being used for a dining room table with three chairs, and two of them were broken. There was a small, rusted kerosene heater heating the home. It was obvious he didn't have a lot," Sharum said Friday in an interview at the Abbotts Creek Access Area at High Rock Lake. Through the conversation the man admitted to Sharum that he had been hunting just that day, illegally without a license, but the deer he shot was used to feed himself and his 9-year-old daughter. The father of the little girl had moved to Rowan County from Tennessee to try to land a job, but it fell through, so at the time he was not working and was living with minimal public assistance. Sharum said he confirmed that the deer the man had shot earlier had been used for food. Only the hooves of the deer remained. "At that point I issued a citation for hunting without a license. We felt like we did what we had to, to do our job," Sharum said.But something made Sharum turn around and ask before he left, "If I brought you a deer, would you take it?"Sharum said the man was very appreciative, and in the next several days, Sharum hunted and shot a deer, bringing it to the man and his daughter. Before leaving the home for the second time, Sharum asked if he could bring a few things for the home.That question started a flurry of activity. Sharum posted the story on Facebook, and it went viral. Friends of friends shared the information and before Christmas, Sharum had over $1,200 that was used to prepay the home's electric bill, set up a fund at a convenience store for kerosene and pay for repairs on the man's truck. Generous people in the community donated furniture, clothes and food."Some people who were on unemployment and struggling themselves gave to help this family," Sharum said. In addition to the family's needs, Sharum toted a truck bed and cab full of toys and gifts on Christmas morning "We had donations from as far away as California and Afghanistan — a deployed solider," Sharum said.The honor Sharum received was for exhibiting service and initiative far above the normal requirements, stated a press release from the wildlife commission. The Governor's Award for Excellence is the highest honor a state employee can receive. The work Sharum completed this past year didn't end with Christmas. Sharum said he stayed in touch with the man, who now has a job."I didn't do any of this for the recognition, but it is very humbling and an honor," Sharum said. "It's easy to write a ticket and go to court, but there is always a little bit more to the story than what you see on the surface. I was glad I was able to go beyond the initial contact."Rebekah Cansler McGee can be reached at 249-3981 ext. 228 or rebekah.mcgee@the-dispatch.com.